The Signature Highlights from Each of College Basketball's Top 20 Stars

There’s no shortage of variety among college basketball’s biggest names for next season, and that diversity makes for an impressive array of individual highlights. From three-point marksmen to high-flying dunkers to lockdown defenders, pretty much every style of play will have its representatives at the top level of college hoops in 2013-14.

One player who combines several of those virtues is Michigan State’s Adreian Payne. The mobile PF is shown here celebrating a big play against Memphis in the NCAA tournament, and his enthusiasm is well warranted by the heights he reached in that game.

Herein, a look at Payne’s second-round heroics, along with the highlights that best define each of the rest of the 20 brightest stars in the country.

19. Chane Behanan, Louisville

Ordinarily, Chane Behanan’s workmanlike style doesn’t lend itself to flashy highlights. However, the same strength and quickness that make him such a force on the glass for Louisville occasionally get a more TV-friendly outlet.

When Louisville’s pressure forced a quick transition turnover during last year’s visit to DePaul, Behanan got a rare chance to flaunt his dunking ability.

With plenty of runway and only one undersized defender, the rising junior power forward rose in a big way to throw down one of the best dunks of 2012-13.

18. Kendall Williams, New Mexico

As with many top-notch point guards, Kendall Williams’ value to New Mexico shows up better in the win column than in any individual stat.

By the same token, Williams’ definitive highlight is less about his own great moment and more about what it meant for his team.

Although this isn’t the most explosive 360-degree dunk you’ll ever see—indeed, it isn't even the best one in this slideshow—it starts, appropriately, with a turnover forced by New Mexico’s tenacious defense.

For Williams and his mates, the ensuing slam comes as an apt finale to a hard-won championship: the Lobos’ second straight year of capturing the MWC tournament title to go along with the regular-season conference crown.

17. Davante Gardner, Marquette

Davante Gardner’s below-the-rim approach to the game doesn't produce many roof-raising moments, but it has its own appeal for Golden Eagles fans.

A blue-collar forward in the best Marquette tradition, Gardner finds a much better expression of his game in a straightforward play such as this putback in a win over LSU.

At 6’8”, 290 lbs, the rising senior is all about power, getting position with his wide body and finishing the shot through contact.

The highlight wouldn’t be complete without a free throw, as Gardner both gets them (almost one attempt per four minutes of playing time) and makes them (.835) at an extraordinary clip.

Davante Gardner’s playing style isn’t exactly calculated to pile up traditional highlight-reel fodder. A blue-collar forward in the best Marquette tradition, Gardner finds a much better expression of his game in a straightforward play such as this putback in a win over LSU.

At 6’8”, 290 lbs, the rising senior is all about power, getting position with his wide body and finishing the shot through contact. The play wouldn’t be complete without a free throw, as Gardner gets them (almost one attempt per four minutes of playing time) and makes them (.835) at an extraordinary clip.

16. Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

While Jack Cooley occupied defenders in the middle, Jerian Grant quietly led Notre Dame in scoring last season. The lanky point guard was far from quiet, though, at the end of regulation in what became an epic home meeting with Louisville.

The Irish trailed by a 10-point margin when Grant ignited, draining three three-pointers in barely 30 seconds.

A concluding three-point play tied the game and sparked a five-OT marathon, to say nothing of putting Grant himself firmly on the national radar heading into his senior season.

15. Alex Kirk, New Mexico

With his 7’0”, 250-pound body, Alex Kirk has the size to overwhelm most college opponents, especially in the mid-major Mountain West. It’s all the more impressive, then, that New Mexico’s towering center has also developed a shooting touch to match his bulk.

He showed off both assets in last season’s home date with San Diego State, as captured in quick succession in this highlight package.

Kirk backs down a hopelessly undersized defender for a jump hook, then steps out to the wing and strokes a rare three-pointer (one of just 13 he hit in his terrific sophomore campaign).

13. Isaiah Austin, Baylor

With another 7’1” center, you might well expect his defining highlight to be a powerful dunk or a ringing rejection. Indeed, Isaiah Austin supplied plenty of each of those for Baylor as a freshman, but nothing typified his season like the three-point shot.

The lanky Austin spent much of the season hovering around the arc, using his mobility and length to fire up jumpers over outmatched defenders.

This pick-and-pop finish in a home win over Lehigh is a great example, as Austin passes up a hole in the middle of the Mountain Hawks defense to hang back and drain a trey off the pass from Brady Heslip.

With another 7’1” center, you might well expect his defining highlight to be a powerful dunk or a ringing rejection. Indeed, Isaiah Austin supplied plenty of each of those for Baylor as a freshman, but nothing typified his season like the three-point shot.

The lanky Austin spent much of the season hovering around the arc, using his mobility and length to fire up jumpers over outmatched defenders. This pick-and-pop finish in a home win over Lehigh is a great example, as Austin passes up a hole in the middle of the Mountain Hawks defense to hang back and drain a trey off the pass from Brady Heslip.

10. Andrew Harrison, Kentucky

When it comes to point guards in the recruiting class of 2013, there’s Andrew Harrison and there’s everyone else.

One major reason for that gulf is Harrison’s ability to shine equally bright as either a primary scoring option or as a creator and playmaker.

In a pair of AAU highlights from this extended reel, the soon-to-be Wildcat (wearing No. 5) provides a bullet-point version of his well-rounded offensive game.

An eye-catching bit of ball-handling lets him draw the defense and set up a baseline finish for twin brother Aaron, but when Andrew gets open on the fast break on another possession, he’s the one rising for the power dunk.

8. Aaron Craft, Ohio State

Only Aaron Craft could get his signature highlight on a play that doesn’t even show up on his line in the box score. The Ohio State PG is the country’s most tenacious (and productive) defender, a talent that goes far beyond the stats he puts up.

With the Buckeyes clinging to a late lead on the road at archrival Michigan, he takes on Wolverine guard Nik Stauskas, chasing him across most of the breadth of the court.

When Stauskas finally loses the handle and falls out of bounds for a turnover, Ohio State gets possession on a play Craft made without even touching the basketball.

7. C.J. Fair, Syracuse

Rising senior C.J. Fair is the best player on the Syracuse roster and a leading contender for ACC Player of the Year.

Among the biggest reasons he’s in a position for a monster year after serving as Michael Carter-Williams’ right-hand man are his length (at 6’8”) and his explosiveness when he gets even a hint of a runway.

Otto Porter Jr. learned about both of those assets, to his chagrin, in OT in the Big East tournament.

The No. 3 pick in last month’s NBA draft found himself on the wrong end of one of Fair’s celebrated power dunks as the Orange earned a much-needed postseason victory.

5. Jahii Carson, Arizona State

Doomed to anonymity outside the Pacific Time Zone, Jahii Carson almost carried Arizona State to the NCAA tournament single-handedly.

Failing that, the explosive scoring point guard made the best of his chance to put on a show against Detroit in the Sun Devils’ NIT opener.

The 5’10” Carson is a fine passer, but on a thin roster he made a far bigger impact with his shot.

This series of buckets against Ray McCallum and the Titans provides an object lesson in how easily Carson can slice through a defense (in transition or the half-court) or shoot over it when left with an opening.

4. Andrew Wiggins, Kansas

Any set of Andrew Wiggins highlights will make it obvious that the incoming Jayhawk freshman has NBA athletic ability. What makes the middle of this particular reel stand out is its portrayal of the many ways the 6’7” small forward can use his physical tools.

In addition to his ubiquitous high-flying dunks, Wiggins shows flashes of his skill as a passer, shot-blocker and ball hawk. It’s that versatility—plus a solid jump-shooting touch—that gives him such limitless potential as the latest face of the Kansas program.

2. Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

The defining game of Marcus Smart’s freshman year at Oklahoma State came in the Cowboys’ visit to mighty Kansas.

Undaunted by the Phog Allen Fieldhouse crowd or the then-No. 2 Jayhawks, Smart led a mammoth upset with a career game on both ends of the floor.

That effort got off to a quick start with this steal-and-score pairing in the early minutes of the game.

Always an aggressive defender, Smart sees his opportunity to pick off a sloppy pass. He then attacks the paint in transition and uses his size, strength and speed to beat a premier shot-blocker (Jeff Withey) and finish with a thunderous dunk.